William Sydney Porter, known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American short story writer. His wit and plot twists were adored by his readers, but often panned by the critics. The Gentle Grafter is a collection of short stories, first published in 1908. The main characters of these tales are Jeff Peters and his friend and companion Andy Tucker. Both of them earn a living with the help of petty fraud, exploiting human greed, stupidity, fear and vanity.